Even foul shots give KU fits

Kevin Haskin

Sunday

Mar 27, 2011 at 6:36 PM

SAN ANTONIO -- The movie scene where Norman Dale measures a basketball goal and proves to his team it is regulation height, just like the ones back in Hickory, was the ‘Hoosiers’ moment suggested to Virginia Commonwealth upon its arrival at the Alamodome.

But come Sunday, in the Southwest Regional final, Kansas had reason to summon NCAA Tournament officials and ask if the hoops were the right specs.

Shots regularly aired out, grazed glass and skimmed rim. And those were just the free throws the Jayhawks attempted as they fell 71-61 to VCU.

“Probably one of the poorest shooting nights we’ve had as a team,’’ said senior guard Tyrel Reed, who shot just 1 of 9 while missing six of seven attempts from 3-point range.

“Our shots just weren’t falling. When your shots aren’t falling you have to defend and have something to fall back on. We didn’t do the best job in the first half and dug ourselves a hole.’’

The 39-21 margin the Rams eventually built was too formidable. The Jayhawks crawled within 46-44 with 13:13 left on a three-point play by Tyshawn Taylor, but then gave up nine unanswered points.

After that, they couldn’t shoot their way back into it as an 11-game win streak snapped and a 35-3 season concluded.

The 35.5 percent overall shooting for KU carried a 9.5 percent hard-hat warning from 3-point range. Both percentages were season lows, as was the 61-point total. In addition, 53.6 percent shooting from the foul line prevented Kansas from stealing momentum.

“Free throw shooting is something that can stem rolls when other teams get on them,’’ KU coach Bill Self said. “We were 5-for-12 in the first half, missed four in a row. Our missed free throws led to 3s on the other end and that’s tough to overcome.’’

The KU starters combined to go 21 of 56 from the field. The reserves were outscored 22-9. Ten assists were offset by 14 turnovers, including eight against junior forward Markieff Morris, who barely missed out on a dubious triple-double after posting 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Self said he never harped on the poor shooting. Why get further into the heads of players when they’re struggling to make shots?

“I don’t usually talk to guys about making shots or missing shots,’’ he said. “I talk to them about doing the other things. You shoot better when you concentrate on other things, to help make winning plays.

“No matter what we said, that basket really opened up for them the first half and whatever the legal diameter of a basket is, 18 inches or whatever, it probably looked like it was 24.’’

And to the Jayhawks?

“Our guys may have thought they were shooting at the fair,’’ Self said, “because it was a tight basket.’’

Those nine 3-pointers the Rams hit in the first half inspired to defend at a fierce level. Rather than conduct any basket measurements, VCU coach Shaka Smart instilled confidence in other ways as the Rams forced nine turnovers in the first 13 minutes.

“We got the style going the way that we wanted in the first half,’’ Smart said. “And if you watch closely, their players were tugging on their shorts for much of the game. When you don’t have your legs it’s hard to make outside shots.

“That’s part of our havoc style is getting people winded, getting people fatigued. And because of that, they missed some shots.’’

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